“Wait,” the man said, blocking the only exit. “I’m not who you think I am.”

“Who are you?” Melissa asked

The man uncloaked himself. He was not a man at all, but a boy. The boy whom Melissa had seen the previous day. Under his hydrothermal poncho was a decorative set of blue wings. Blue Jays had wings like these. They thought that the wings gave them luck and strength.

“A Blue Jay?” Melissa asked incredulously. “How do you know my name? And do you know how they had chosen me as messenger?” Melissa questions gushed out.

“We have our spies. Everything I said about the government’s involvement with this room is true though,” he answered. “Look, I brought you here to show you how unreliable your government is. They are only feeding and caring for your people so that you will produce slaves for them. They are greedy little thieves.”

“I think I see that now. What is your name?” Melissa asked.

“Michael. I am the leader of the Blue Jays,” Michael said. “I have to admit that I had an another reason for bringing you here. The Blue Jays and I have a plot to overthrow your government so that we can live together in honesty. But we cannot do it without your help.”

“Then tell me the plan. I am already your humble Messenger.”

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“Babies number one through fifty need dinner!” said a Blue Jay named Paul. The Blue Tree was filled with scrawny humans.

Melissa sighed. She looked around at the Blue Tree. A hunk of the trunk had been cut off and held a mansion of a tree house. Forty-nine boys between the ages of twelve and fifteen slept in Blue Tree. Daughter Blue Tree (the tree directly north of Blue Tree) housed the younger boys aged nine to eleven. Daughter Blue Tree was about half the size of Blue Tree.

This had been the first time in about a week that Melissa had even had a moment to take in her surroundings. During the day, Melissa was Messenger, but at night, while no one needed her work, she helped the Blue Jays. The boys stole the babies, a few every night (this would delay the government from getting enough babies to carry out their plan).

In two nights, Melissa would run away and live in Blue Tree. Since the state of Deverda was held up because they had Melissa, her sudden disappearance would hinder their daily lives. The plan after that was to rebuild society, and if the old government officials wouldn’t conform, they would have to die – or live in a jail, the Blue Jays weren’t sure since they weren’t going to take that step unless they needed to.

“Melissa! Come help me feed the babies their dinner and stop daydreaming!” Michael chastised. He took his job very seriously.

“Alright, I’m coming,” she replied as she came back to reality.
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“Mel! Mellie! Melissa! Wake up now!” someone whisper shouted. Melissa slowly lifted her heavy eye lids and let the darkness slip away.

It was the night of her escape. The Blue Jays had built a bed for her on a separate branch of Blue Tree (since she couldn’t sleep with the boys).

Blue Tree was deep in the woods, but the small party would be there by sunrise.

When they got there, Melissa literally fell into her bed. As her mind drifted away, the last thing she heard was Michael saying “You’ll need to stay in Blue Tree for a few days. Good night darling.”
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The next few days sped by as if they had never been. They had gone hunting and played music by a fire place. There were only ghosts of memories left – the sunlight sparkling through the trees, Michael’s hand on her cheek, the rush of wind on her face – they were glorious, like dreams, but they could not last. In a few days time, they would ambush the government facility and leave Blue Tree – maybe even for good – to build new dwellings and live in Deverda again. But until then, they were each other’s.
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“We’ll see you later, Mellie. Wish us luck!” Michael said. It was the night of the ambush.

“Good luck, I’ll miss you” but then Melissa knew what to say. It came to her like a butterfly to your fingertip “I love you.”

At first Michael reached out and just squeezed Melissa’s hand, but then they both leaned in and their lips touched gently and sweetly.

“I love you too,” he said before they parted.

All the boys except for Paul left. He and Melissa were to watch over Blue Tree and each other.

They traveled to the edge of the woods when they were given a signal to stop.

“Using the groups that we’ve previously decided, Group 1 sneak to the back of the government facilities while we will talk to them. Only come in through the back door if I signal, which I may not even need to,” ordered Michael. “Group 2 will come behind me while I talk. Again, you might not need to do anything, but if I signal, do what you need to protect me.”

They walked along Main Road. Since everyone was so lazy, no one was outside on the road and they easily made it to the government facility.

The government facility was a large building compared to the small family dwellings near by. It had a grand main entrance in the front which was open to the public every day. In the back, there was a comparatively small door made of glass where Group 2 was waiting.

Michael and Group 1 entered the main entrance. They walked straight upstairs to the leader, John Sandra’s, office and knocked on his door.

“Come in!” a male’s voice boomed.


Read Part 3!